Explanation

A urine test is when your doctor sends a sample of your wee to a laboratory for analysis. urine is just the proper name for wee! So another name for a urine test is a wee test!

Why do I need one?

Wee is a liquid waste product that contains mainly water. Water, and other stuff that your body no longer needs, goes from your blood to your kidneys, where it is filtered and turned into urine - wee. Doctors can find out a lot about what is going on inside your body from what's in your wee.

There should be no sugar, protein or blood in your wee after it has been filtered in your kidneys. A urine test will show if any of these things are still there, and if they are, it could mean something is wrong. For example, if there are any bacteria in your wee, it could mean that you have an infection in your bladder, like cystitis.

A urine test is an easy way to diagnose lots of different diseases.

Your doctor can also use a urine test to make sure that your kidneys are working as well as they should, if you are taking medicines that can affect them, and to make sure your treatment is right for you.

What happens before I have it?

You should have a good wash before doing a wee for a urine test, so that the wee doesn't pick up any germs from your skin. If any germs get in, it could spoil the results of the test, as they may show that you have bacteria in your wee when actually you don't have any!

When you wash before doing a wee for a test, doctors call this clean-catch. This is because they can catch your wee clean of any germs from your skin, or anywhere else, just as it was inside your body before you did a wee!

How is it done?

Your doctor will give you a small, plastic, sterile container to wee into. You should start by weeing into a toilet for a bit, and then collect the middle part of your wee in the container. Doctors call this a midstream specimen, because it is the middle part of your wee stream.

After you have finished, wash your hands properly and give the container back to your doctor. He or she will then analyse your urine at the surgery, or will send it to a laboratory for more tests.

Will it hurt?

No. A urine test doesn't hurt at all.

What happens next?

If your doctor does a simple test at the surgery, he or she will be able to tell you the results immediately. If your urine sample is sent to a laboratory, your doctor will probably get the results back within a couple of weeks, and will then discuss them with you.

What if I have any more questions?

If you have any other questions, you can ask your doctor, or chat to other people about urine tests in the Medikidz forums and virtual world, Mediland.